Control relay



v Sept. 1, 1970 Q W.PRIESEMUTH v 3,

CONTROL RELAY Filed Dec. 19, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ln venior:

WOLFGA NG PR-IESEMUTH By I w. PRIESEMUTH 3,526,862

. CONTROL RELAY.

Sept 1, 1970f 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1963 v 'lrive/zlor: W01. FGA 1V6 PRIESEMUTH United States Patent 3,526,862 CONTROL RELAY Wolfgang Priesemuth, Itzehoe, Holstein, Postkamp, Germany Filed Dec. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 785,182 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 22, 1967, 1,614,353

Int. Cl. H01h 45/00 US. Cl. 335-159 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A switching relay for an electromagnetic signalling unit and having a plurality of magnetic cores mounted on a base and each having a yoke and at least two limbs carrying switching contacts of the relay, armatures associated with respective cores and each adapted to bridge the gap between the contacts provided by the limbs of the associated core, and a relay winding, the cores being mounted with the yokes thereof alongside one another and enrbraced by the winding. An E-shaped core is used for plural switching relay arrangements and a leaf spring is provided for mounting each of the armatures.

This invention relates to switching relays.

In emergency warning systems it is often necessary to initiate a plurality of operations simultaneously. This can be done with the help of a relay which has switching contacts respectively associated with several operations. In emergency warning systems for motor vehicles, however, the several operations may differ to such an extent that they cannot be controlled by a single relay. Such operations are, for example, the simultaneous flashing of four direction indicators, activation of a radio intercommunication set, activation of the horn to give a continuous sound, locking of the doors or the disconnection of the engine ignition system, etc. For initiating such widely different operation, switching devices which operate differently and have different kinds of responses are required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switching relay which is suitable for giving effect to the desired switching operations.

It is another object of this invention to so design a switching relay that any desired number of component relays can be compactly assembled together to form a relay unit which may be accomodated inside an electromagnetic signalling unit associated with relays without causing the several elements to interfere with each other.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a relay unit as a combination of relays according to the invention which will permit different circuits carrying different potentials to be switched on and off without the necessity of providing adapting devices.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial section of an electromagnetic signalling unit consisting of a combination of component switching relays according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of the switching relays in the unit of FIG. 1, with the casing removed.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the switching relays of the unit of FIGS. 1 and 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow Z in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IVIV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a section of a relay unit having four component switching relays each provided with a winding having a different number of turns.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of an electromagnetic signalling unit associated with a relay unit including four component switching relays according to the invention.

A switching relay according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that it comprises a plurality of magnetic cores mounted on a base and each having a yoke and two limbs respectively providing switching contacts of the relay, armatures associated with respective cores and each adapted to bridge the gap between the contacts provided by the limbs of the associated core, and a relay winding, the cores being mounted with the yokes thereof alongside one another and embraced by the said winding. I

Preferably, a plurality of relays according to the invention may be combined to form a relay unit so compactly assembled that it can be accommodated in an electromagnetic signalling unit associated with the switching relays, the several component relays having different response times for making or breaking different circuits, possibly carrying different potentials.

Suitably, at least one limb of each core and the associated armature are arcuate in shape and co-axially arranged.

Each armature may be mounted on a leaf spring, in which case the leaf springs and the cores may be mounted on a support upstanding from the base and electrically insulated from one another.

The windings of respective relays in a unit may each form part of a common winding, each part of the winding having a different number of turns.

Alternatively, there may be a separate winding on each core. This permits individual combined component relays of the unit to be operated with currents of different magnitudes and/ or with different magnetic fluxes, so that a fine adjustment of the leaf springs carrying the armatures is unnecessary to achieve different responses.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and FIG. 1 thereof in particular, an electromagnetic signalling unit having a casing 1 of synthetic material and being provided with terminal lugs 2 is mounted on an insulating baseplate 3. This baseplate 3 is surmounted by a cylinder 5 within which is a slidable hollow magnetic plunger-type armature 6. An actuating rod 7 is attached to the plunger 6 and passes through the baseplate 3 to operate a tumbler switch 4, which initiates the switching operations that are controlled by the signalling unit.

The cylinder 5 carries a winding 8 which, when energized, causes the plunger 6 to be raised. This movement of the plunger 6 proceeds against the resistance of a helical compression spring 9 which bears against the bottom of the cylinder 5. The bottom of the cylinder 5 contains two air vents 10 and 11, of which the vent 10 has a throttling constriction 12 and the vent 11 is controlled by a non-return valve 14. A sleeve 13 serves for guiding and aligning the platelets of the non-return valve 14, and a leaf spring 15 bears down on the platelets of the valve, urging them into a position in which they keep the opening 11 closed. A magnetic return path is formed by a pot-shaped member 16 which encloses the magnet winding 8 and the valve arrangement.

To permit the electromagnetic signalling unit to be used as an emergency warning device in motor vehicles for initiating a multiplicity of different functions, a switching relay unit is associated with this signalling unit.

As shown in FIG. 2, an E-shaped magnetic coreplate 18 comprises a yoke 19, a limb 22 for mounting purposes, and two limbs 23 and 24 which serve as relay contacts. The electrical connections to the signalling unit, the magnetic coreplates and the leaf springs are not shown in the drawing for the sake of greater clarity.

As shown in FIG. 3, the switching relay unit is assembled on a mounting plate 17 formed of an insulating material. One E-shaped coreplate 18, shown in plan in FIG. 2 and one leaf spring 20, carrying a relay armature 21 in the form of an annular segment, form a single component relay of the unit. The yokes of the magnetic coreplates 18 of a relay are disposed alongside one another and are embraced by a single relay winding 29.

The several component relays in the unit are disposed one above the other with the limbs of alternate units facing opposite directions, insulating layers 25, 26, 27 and 28 being interposed between the several metal parts. By a suitable choice of the thicknesses of the layers of insulating material, the spacing between the relay armatures 21 and their associated magnetic coreplates 18 when the relay is inoperative can be selectably determined. Owing to the stacked construction of the combined relays the overall height of the arrangement can be reduced to a minimum.

For mounting the switching relays the mounting plate 17, the magnetic coreplates 18 and the leaf springs 20 are provided with suitable holes for receiving bushings of rivets or the like which connect these parts and the interposed insulating members 25, 26, 27 and 28 to the mounting plate 17. In FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the rivets are shown at 30 and 31. The free ends of the magnetic coreplates 18 are located by spacing sleeves 32, through which the rivets 31 are passed.

FIG. shows an embodiment in section of a switching relay unit according to the invention comprising four component relays. The section is taken on a line corresponding to that marked IV-IV in the embodiment of FIG. 3. The four component relays are combined in pairs, as shown in FIG. 3, and mounted the one above the other in a stack. Since the top and bottom pair of relays comprise like parts the parts of the upper pair are identified by the same reference numerals as the parts of the lower pair. For mounting each component relay on the component below, cylindrical spacing sleeves 32, 32 of insulating material secured by a rivet are provided opposite the insulating members 25, 26, 27 and 28 as well as 25', 26', 27 and 28' that are interposed between the several metal parts of the component relay units.

FIG. 5 includes a single relay winding having a diiferent number of turns embracing different pairs P and R of relays. The first, longer portion 36 of the winding embraces the two yokes 19 of the magnetic coreplates 18 of the bottom pair of component relays and the remaining, shorter section 37 is wound around the yokes 19' of the two upper magnetic coreplates 18'. By this arrangement the two bottom component relays will respond to a weaker current than the two upper relays. The advantage of this type of winding will be explained in greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 6.

The circuit in FIG. 6 shows a switching relay unit according to the invention associated with an electromagnetic signalling unit for an emergency warning system. Parts corresponding to parts shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 are identified by the same reference numbers but represented in purely symbolic form.

In FIG. 6 a terminal 2 of an. electromagnetic signalling unit is connected to one pole of a battery 40 of which the other pole is earthed. The terminal 2 is also connected to one end of the winding 8 of the signalling unit as well as to the fixed contact 4a of the tumbler switch 4. The other end of the winding 8 is connected to the other fixed contact 46 of the tumbler switch, whereas the changeover contact blade 40 is connected to one end of the winding 36 of the bottom pair of relays. The winding 37 of the upper pair of relays is in series with the winding 36 and its output end is connected via a terminal 41 to an emergency switch 42. The relay contacts formed by the limbs of the magnetic coreplates and the relay armatures of the two bottom relays R are marked r and r respectively, whereas the relay contacts of the two relays of the upper pair P are marked p and 12 respectively.

The circuit of FIG. 6 operates as follows:

Initially the condition of the non-energized relays is as indicated in the drawing. When the emergency switch 42 is operated, a circuit is provided from ground through the emergency switch 42, the winding 37 of the two upper relay units P, the winding 36 of the bottom pair of relay units R, the contact blade 4c, contact 4b, relay winding 8, battery 40 and back to earth. The relay winding 8 is thus energized, and the relay rapidly operates the plunger 6 of FIG. 1 since air can rapidly escape from cylinder 5 through the non-return valve 14. The displacement of the plunger 6 causes the actuating rod 7 to move the blade 4c of the tumbler switch 4 into contact with the other contact 4a. The relay winding 8 is thus by-passed and a larger current flows through the relays P and R, since these windings are now connected directly across substantially the full voltage of battery 40.

When the spring 9 returns the plunger 6 to its former position the 'by-pass across the relay winding 8 is broken and the current through the windings 36 and 37 is reduced by the renewed interposition of the resistance of the relay winding 8. At the instant blade 4c again touches the contact 4b, the winding 8 is re-energized causing the plunger 6 to be rapidly operated again and the same cycle of events to repeat itself.

The windings 36 and 37 have different numbers of turns so that in one operative phase of the signalling unit, during which the relay winding 8 is included in the circuit, the component relays associated with the winding 36 will operate, whereas the current through the relay winding 37 is insufiicient for operating the relay units associated With.- this latter winding. When the operation of the tumbler switch 4 causes the relay 8 to be by-passed and the current through the relay windings 36 and 37 to rise, this current is sufiicient for the relay winding 37 to operate the contacts of these relays. As soon as the tumbler switch 4 returns to its former position the relay contacts p and p associated with the winding 37 are immediately released.

Because of this characteristic of the arrangement, the signalling unit opens and closes the relay contacts p and p associated with the winding 37, and hence intermittently activates the warning devices 43 and 44 in accordance with the working cycle of the signalling unit. However, the relay contacts r r and hence the warning devices 45 and 46, remain permanently activated, since the current flowing through the winding 36 is sufiicient to operate the associated relay contacts after having been reduced by the interposition in the circuit of the resistance of the relay winding 8 of the signalling unit.

The emergency warning system illustrated in FIG. 6, therefore, permits certain warning functions to be intermittently performed, whereas at the same time other warning functions are continuous. Since the component relays of the relay unit are conductively separated, switching operations can also be performed in which the operated contacts control difierent potentials. This is an advantage because adapting members between switching relays of the warning system and several functional circuits in a motor vehicle are thus rendered unnecessary.

It is, of course, to be understood that the invention is, by no means, limited to the specific showing in the drawing, but also comprises modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A switching relay including a base and contacts with a gap therebetween, a plurality of magnetic cores mounted on the base and each having a yoke and two limbs respectively carrying the contacts of the relay, armatures associated with respective said cores and each adapted to bridge the gap between the contacts provided by the limbs of the associated core, and a relay winding, said cores being mounted with the yokes thereof alongside one another and embraced by the said winding.

2. A switching relay according to claim 1, wherein at least one limb of each core and the associated armature are arcuate in shape and co-axially aligned.

3. A switching relay according to claim 1, wherein a leaf spring is provided for mounting each armature.

4. A switching relay according to claim 3, wherein a support upstanding from the base is provided for each of said leaf springs and said cores are electrically insulated from one another.

5. A switching relay according to claim 1, wherein each core has a yoke of different sectional area from that of any other core.

6. A switching relay according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of switching relays are provided and wherein each said winding of respective relays each forms part of a common winding, each part having a different number of turns.

7. A switching relay according to claim 1, in which at least two E-shaped magnetic cores are provided with yokes parallel to each other, said relay winding particularly surrounding said yokes of all of said magnetic cores.

8. A switching relay according to claim 7, in which said armature is circular and associated with two limbs of each of said E-shaped magnetic cores and is isolated from a third limb of each of said E-shaped magnetic cores, and a leaf spring interengages with said armature.

References Cited BERNARD A. GIL'HEANY, Primary Examiner H. BROOME, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 335-265 

